Growing Hibiscus in Your Houston, Texas Garden

Planting Hibiscus is a great way to add summer color to your Houston, Texas garden, and there are many types of Hibiscus that do very well in our climate. Their flowers can be single or double blooms, and come in a variety of beautiful colors (think pink, red, yellow, orange, apricot and more!) The glossy green leaves of Hibiscus are also a welcome addition to any garden, contrastingly beautifully with their lovely colors. If you are interested in growing Hibiscus in your own Houston, Texas garden, try planting some of the varieties below.

Fantasy Charm. This Hibiscus does best when planted in full sun in late spring in your Houston, Texas garden. It has very large flowers (up to ten inches across) that start out pink in the center and fade to almost white on the edges, and which will bloom almost all year round for you. The flowers will also bring birds and butterflies to your Houston, Texas garden.

Creole Darlin'. If you enjoy strikingly pretty flowers, this Hibiscus is a great choice for your Houston, Texas garden. With bright pink petals and burgundy eyes, these seven inch flowers will attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. Plant this Hibiscus in full sun to partial shade in early spring, and it will flower all summer and fall. These shrubs are a good choice for small landscaping in Houston, Texas, too.

Double Apricot. As its name implies, the blooms of this Hibiscus are a gorgeous apricot in color. This shrub does best when planted in full to partial sun, and it will bloom from late spring all the way through fall. It also has lovely, glossy green leaves. Keep it well fertilized for best blooms, and prune it in January or February if it seems to need it. This Hibiscus does very well in a container.

Gator Pride. Looking for blue, orange, pink and magenta flowers for your Houston, Texas garden? Try planting this Hibiscus, which will bloom from late spring through the fall for you. Plant it in partial shade (it will tolerate full sun, too) in your Houston, Texas garden, and expect heights of up to eight feet. These flowers, which have magenta throats, pinkish-blue petals and pink or orange edges, will also attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden.

Moy Grande. This Hibiscus has beautiful bright red flowers that will bloom from April through October in your Houston, Texas garden. It does best when planted in the full sun in either spring or fall, and its huge flowers can be up to twelve inches across! This Hibiscus is a Texas Superstar, and looks great in mixed borders.

Althea. The double flowers of this Hibiscus are a gorgeous mauve color, and its leaves are a nicely contrasting dark green. Plant this Hibiscus in full sun to partial shade in March or April, and it will flower from the summer straight through the fall. This shrub will grow to be about eight feet tall, and is a good choice for an accent plant in your Houston, Texas garden.

Source list:

Personal experience
http://www.chron.com/apps/chron_data/plants.mpl